Believe it or not it’s time to start thinking about NEXT summer and which programs might be right for you. Some of them may require a preliminary audition in the Fall so inform yourself now., especially while you have something to compare. Those of you in programs should start looking at them with a critical eye – not to take an attitude or avoid advice from folks who probably know more then you, but to better understand what you’re getting and where you’re going..
One caveat:
I too was a developing singer and I remember well that for several years I kept thinking that my breakthrough was just around the corner: THIS was the year it was going to happen. Then when it happened it went so fast I hardly knew what was happening! That’s when instinct comes in and you have to use your head and your heart to make quick decisions. It’s tricky, but until then you have to do the grunt work , learn from it or survive it, and work hard, but know when NOT to work. After all, singing should be enjoyable and the intensity a joy, even when its hard.
That said here are a few things to evaluate summer programs.
What’s the level?
Find out where the teachers are from and what their experience is. This applies to coaches, voice teachers and any senior staff. Where do they teach or work and what does that mean. Are they academics or have they worked in theaters or in the business. Many academics are terrific teachers and may be just what you need to grow but they might not have a practical understanding of the repertoire and what theaters are currently hiring. Some professionals are lousy teachers too. They’ve been busy singing and making a career, and they may not want to give away their secrets. Pavarotti was a great singer and a warm performer but he wasn’t giving away his secrets. Teaching is a very special gift. Some singers knew what they were doing but not how to teach it. Jean Cox, was a wonderful dramatic tenor who sang many years at Bayreuth. He couldn’t teach, but his wife, mezzo Anna Reynolds, who also had a very good career, was an excellent teacher. However just looking and listening to Jean was tremendously valuable. Someone who’s is just what you need at one point in your development can be the wrong choice at another, and you have to figure it out. Take a look as well at the kind of singers they have worked with. Is this where you’re going or what you need?
But singing teachers are only a part of the summer experience. Who are the coaches and where have they worked and taught? Europe, the US or what? What’s their specialty and is that what you need now? Are they great with language and interpretation or does their long theater experience show in their playing. Someone who has done Mozart with ten or twenty conductors and seven stage directors will be more helpful than someone who thinks it’s set in stone and there’s only one “right” way to do it. Know too that they have strengths and weaknesses, so don’t worry if you don’t click with a famous “important” person. You may not be what they’re interested in. It may be better to work with someone who suits what you need NOW. And don’t undervalue the ability to help you learn and memorize FAST. It’s a valuable professional skill and may get you important roles and contacts.
What are your chances of getting to do what you need to do?
Finding out the student/teacher ratio in advance is probably impossible, but you can figure out what it was like in the past.
Performance opportunities.
How many fully staged productions are there and are you likely to get to perform a role in a performance? Remember some casts only do rehearsals or go on if someone cancells. Are there other opportunities to sing with orchestra in concert. All those things help a resume and count as experience. If you’re in the chorus do your best and look for appropriate small roles. Be a good colleague but keep your eyes open for any chances. In a 1978 summer program I sang a small role in a piano scenes program of Smetana’s Bartered Bride, and in 2005 the pianist was the Music Director of a German theater where I was singing Otello, and he remembered me clearly,
STAGECRAFT
Does the program teach essential skills like stagecraft and language. Can you walk down steps in a hoop skirt? How about sitting down and standing up? Do you know that there’s a technique for turning around onstage. Handling broadswords is very different from a Rapier and stage fights are learned not improvised. Falling down onstage is an art and a science. All this has to be learned. Does the program you are considering have a class?
Language classes.
I don’t remember any in US summer programs, and in truth there’s not much point unless you can go out and try to speak the language with the natives. In France, Italy and Germany language classes are important if you are to have a chance of working in these countries. You can’t sing a language if you can’t communicate in it, and learning the the basics of grammar and structure saves a lot of time. Google and the like are great for understanding general meaning but knowing what each words means and where to stress or stretch or emphasize them is critical. You’re talking to the audience and you better know what your saying!
Agents, contacts career building.
Many programs have agent consultations/auditions and career development classes. Look at rosters to get an idea of tastes and where their singers get work. And don’t take what they say at face value. They have many goals and interest and their opinions may be only tangential to your situation.